Flexible light strip devices are well known and have achieved a great degree of popularity, not only in the form of holiday ornamentation, but also for decorative lighting throughout the year. Such devices utilize what is generally referred to as wedge base lamps or bulbs and special insulated wire.
Wedge base lamps are so common as not to warrant detailed description here, as they are not the invention but are merely utilized in the present invention. Suffice it to say that this typse of bulb generally consists of a filament-containing glass envelope with a wedge shaped base designed to be mated with an appropriately formed socket. The filament conductors extend through the wedge base and are back-bent over the external surface of the envelope base. The socket contains contact members which conduct current to the filament conductors.
We are here concerned with the socket structure, in combination with standard 18 gauge wire, which may be of any desired length.
The present invention is directed, not to randomly strung, mass-produced, strings of lights used for decorative purposes, but to those conditions and locations where specific non-uniform areas or articles are to be lighted.
Similarly to the prior art, the present invention utilizes flexible insulated wire. However, unlike the prior art devices, the current invention needs no special wire, but uses standard household wiring.
It is frequently desired to light, for example, only certain portions or areas of glass cabinets or shelving in order to highlight certain objects or curios. Using conventional light strip devices, it is not only difficult to place a light at a desired location, but also there will generally be an unwanted light dangling in space or lying on a shelf lighting an empty area.
For this reason, there have in recent times been developed a number of light strips which permit random insertion of plug units. Most, however, necessitate the utilization of special tools for piercing the wire insulation, special wire or conductive strips, special backing plates, locking plates or other relatively complex structures. Other such prior art systems are very bulky, need specially made bulbs or the bulbs themselves are not replaceable without replacing the entire socket.
The foregoing disadvantages are overcome by the present invention through the provision of a compact socket for a common wedge based lamp which requires no assembly, no special or additional backing or locking plates, no special tools, which is formed in a single piece and which has a bulb receiving cavity allowing for easy replacement of bulbs.
Further, this unique socket eliminates part count, bulk and space requirements essential in prior art designs. There in no fixed or set number of sockets for a given wire or fixture.
The sockets of the current invention may be randomly placed on standard insulated wire singly or in groups immediately adjacent one to another or to several, and may be themselves removed and placed on another segment of wire or placed on another wire without damage to or destruction of the sockets. All done without the use of special tools, parts, space requirements or special training.
Each socket is molded into a simple unitary housing having two distinct cavities therein, into one of which are inserted two mirror-image contacts. A sharp tip portion of each contact extends into the second housing cavity. Those portions of the contacts which are in the first cavity cooperate to form a bulb receiving and grasping section. The second of said cavities is shaped to tightly receive a standard segment of wire in such a position relative to the two contacts that, when pressed into position, the tip portions of the contacts pierce the insulation and make electrical contact with the wires therein.
The current invention offers a safety feature not previously found and which permits the socket to be handled and applied without fear of cutting. All portions of the contact, including the sharp, wire-piercing tips, are contained inside the socket. Therefore, the user cannot cut or injure him or herself.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved snap-on light socket which may be randomly connected to a standard gauge insulated electrical wire.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a snap-on light socket which utilizes commercially available wedge base lamps.
It is another object of this invention to provide a snap-on light socket wherein the contacts are compeletely self-contained, thereby precluding damage or cuts to the user.
It is another object of this invention to provide a snap-on light socket which is economically manufactured and readily adapted to a variety of uses.
Further and other objects will become apparent upon consideration of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.